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Juniper ordinary Gold Kone (juniperuscommunis Gold Cone) is a perennial, coniferous plant that forms a cone-shaped bush up to 2 m high. The plant is valued for its original color of needles, frost resistance and unpretentious care. Due to its decorative appearance, the shrub looks good on alpine hills, in rockeries and coniferous gardens, as well as in single and mass plantings.
Description of Gold Kone juniper
Juniper ordinary Gold Cone (Gold Kon) was bred in 1980 by German breeders. A slow-growing coniferous plant reaches a height of 2 m and forms a narrow-conical crown with a diameter of 50 cm.
The shrub has straight, upright shoots and a deep, weakly branched root system. The main advantage of the ephedra is the color of the needles. In the spring it is golden yellow, during the summer it becomes deep green, in the fall it is repainted in a bronze-brown color. Due to its changing color, the common juniper Gold Kone looks great among evergreen, deciduous and ornamental shrubs.
Common juniper fruiting occurs at the end of summer. The bush forms ovoid green pineal berries that turn bluish-black when fully ripe. Ripe fruits are covered with a waxy film and can be eaten.
The common juniper Gold Kone is a slow-growing species, the seasonal growth is 15 cm. The shrub adapts for a long time after transplantation, especially in adulthood. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase 2-3 year old plants grown in containers.
Coniferous shrub is frost-hardy, sun-loving, grows well on light, alkaline soil with deep groundwater. It is better to choose a sunny site for planting, since in partial shade the needles acquire an emerald color and lose their sunny color.
Juniper Gold Cohn in landscape design
Juniper ordinary Gold Kone compact, evergreen, coniferous shrub, which is suitable for planting in rock gardens, rockeries and next to other conifers. Looks great in single plantings, as well as surrounded by flowering perennials.
Juniper ordinary Gold Kone is an ideal mini shrub that is suitable for growing in flower pots, for landscaping roofs, balconies, loggias, verandas and terraces. And thanks to the flexible shoots, a beautiful bonsai is obtained from the plant.
Planting and caring for common juniper Gold Kone
After transplanting to a permanent place, the common Gold Kone juniper needs regular care. It consists of watering, fertilizing and shelter from frost and spring sun. To improve the structure of the soil, the trunk circle is mulched with dry foliage or cut grass. Coniferous shrub tolerates pruning well. With annual spring pruning, a crown is formed and skeletal branches are strengthened.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
It is better to buy a juniper seedling ordinary Gold Kone from trusted suppliers or in nurseries. A properly selected seedling must meet certain requirements:
- The roots must be well developed and completely fill the container they are in.There must be no mechanical or other damage.
- The trunk should be perfect, without cracks or signs of disease.
- All young shoots should be flexible and not break at the slightest bending.
- White flakes should not be present near the growing point of the needles, as this is the first sign of a poor-quality seedling.
- The crown should have uniformly colored needles.
Juniper juniperuscommunis Gold Cone is an unpretentious coniferous plant.
Common juniper is planted in spring and autumn. But to simplify maintenance, the planting pit is prepared in advance. For this:
- Dig a hole, the diameter of which should be several times larger than the root system.
- The bottom is buried with a 15 cm layer of drainage.
- Next, a nutritious soil is prepared, and complex mineral fertilizers are added to the soil as additional nutrition.
- If the soil is acidic, it is diluted with dolomite flour.
- The soil is spilled abundantly.
- After 2 weeks, the land will be ready to receive the juniper seedling.
- When planting several specimens, the spacing between plants should be at least 1 m.
Landing rules
After the soil in the prepared hole settles, you can start planting. The seedling is carefully removed from the container and placed in the hole so that the root collar is at the level of the soil. The entire space around the plant is sprinkled with soil, tamping each layer so that there is no air space. The top layer is tamped, spilled and mulched.
Watering and feeding
Young plants need irrigation for good growth and development. In rainy weather, irrigation is not carried out; in dry, dry summers, irrigation is carried out 2 times a month after planting, and in the future - once a month.
Juniper ordinary Gold Kone will not refuse irrigation by sprinkling - this refreshes the needles, removes dust and fills the air with a fresh, pleasant aroma. The procedure is carried out in the morning or in the evening so that drops of water do not burn the needles under the influence of sunlight.
Common juniper is not picky about feeding. The exception is plants growing on poor soil and in the first 2 years after planting. For this, in early spring, seedlings are fed with liquid fertilizers intended for conifers, since they contain a full range of nutrients necessary for full development.
Mulching and loosening
After irrigation, the trunk circle is carefully loosened and mulched. Peat, rotted compost, straw, needles or dry foliage are used as mulch. Mulch will retain moisture, stop growth weeds, will relieve loosening and become an additional organic fertilizing.
Trimming and shaping
The description shows that the Gold Kone juniper is very responsive to pruning. It is carried out for the formation of the crown and for the prevention of diseases and pests. In spring, damaged, not overwintered shoots are removed.
An unevenly developing crown looks untidy and loses its decorative effect. Pruning is done in early summer with a sharp, sterile pruning shears. Young growths are pinched ½ of the length. Powerful, improperly colored shoots are removed completely at forks, making the cut invisible.
Preparing for winter
The common juniper Gold Kone is a frost-resistant species, so it does not need shelter. So that the shoots of a young seedling do not break during a heavy snowfall, experienced gardeners recommend tying them together.
But in early spring it is necessary to make a shelter.It will save the needles from the spring rays of the sun. The covering material is removed after the daytime air temperature is kept within + 8-10 ° C.
Reproduction of common juniper Gold Cone
Juniper ordinary Gold Kone can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Seed method - seeds that have undergone stratification are treated in a growth stimulator and sown in nutrient soil to a depth of 2 cm. To create a favorable microclimate, a micro-greenhouse is made. The optimum temperature for germination should be at least + 23 ° C. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, and the container is placed on a window overlooking the south or southeast side. Care consists in regular watering, feeding and picking. A young plant is planted in a permanent place at the age of 2-3 years.
Cuttings - cuttings 5-10 cm long are cut at the beginning of June. The cut is treated with Kornevin and Fundazol. The prepared cutting is planted in moist, nutritious soil to a depth of 2 cm. The container is covered with a jar to create an optimal temperature and humidity regime. In order for the cutting to take root faster, spraying and airing are carried out. Rooting lasts all summer. After 2 years, the grown stalk can be transplanted to the prepared area.
Diseases and pests
The adult Gold Kone common juniper is immune to diseases and pests. But newly planted seedlings are often infected with fungal diseases and are attacked by insects.
Insect pests:
- Pine moth - destroys needles and eats young shoots.
- Mealybug - destroys young growths and is a distributor of sooty fungus.
For the prevention of insect pests, the plant is sprayed twice with insecticides with an interval of 2 weeks.
Fungal diseases:
- Fusarium - the disease can be determined by the reddening of the needles on the upper shoots, which gradually fall off, exposing the young shoots.
- Rust - affects the shoots, forming multiple orange-colored pustules on them. Without treatment, the fungus quickly moves to the trunk, while the bark thickens and bursts.
When the first symptoms of infection appear, all affected branches are cut to healthy tissue and burned. The crown is treated with fungicides, such as: "Fitosporin-M", "Fundazol" or "Maxim".
Conclusion
Juniper ordinary Gold Kone is an unpretentious, evergreen, slow-growing plant. But in order for the coniferous shrub to please the eye for a long time, it is necessary to follow simple rules of care. And then the coniferous plant will become an irreplaceable decoration of the rock garden, rocky or coniferous garden.
